Russian warning

Russian warning

MOSCOW

Russia’s top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile-defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial plan to build a missile shield.

President Dmitry Medvedev said last year that Russia will retaliate militarily if it does not reach an agreement with the United States and NATO on the missile-defense system.

Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov went even further Thursday. “A decision to use destructive force pre-emptively will be taken if the situation worsens,” he said at an international conference attended by senior U.S. and NATO officials.

Focus on Mormons

SALT LAKE CITY

America’s Mormons have built plenty of resilience over nearly two centuries as outsiders, but they’re anxious about the next few months. Mitt Romney is about to become the first Mormon nominee for U.S. president on a major-party ticket.

His nomination by the Republicans will give Mormons a chance like no other to explain their tradition to the public. But critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have a bigger platform, too. And it will all take place amid the emotion of what may well be a nasty general election.

The church’s focus is on getting its own story out. In fact, since 2010, it has been running a multimillion-dollar series of ads, called “I’m a Mormon,” to dispel stereotypes by telling stories of individual Mormons.

Woman dies in Md. church shooting

ELLICOTT CITY, Md.

Police in Maryland are investigating a shooting inside a church office that left one woman dead and another seriously wounded. Later, a man was found dead in nearby woods.

Thursday afternoon’s shooting occurred at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City.

Howard County Police say a church custodian called 911 to report the shooting about 5:20 p.m. One woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore in critical condition.

Police say the man was found with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a gun was found near the body.

Designer testifies

GREENSBORO, N.C

An interior designer testified Thursday about his role in funneling secret money from a reclusive millionaire to an aide of John Edwards’ in a scheme that included checks labeled for fake antique-furniture purchases.

Bryan Huffman described, for example, receiving a $100,000 check from 101-year-old heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon with “Antique Charleston Table and Chairs” written in the memo line. It was part of an elaborate ruse to hide $725,000 intended for Edwards from the Mellon family’s money managers.

The designer then endorsed the checks and sent them on to a fundraiser for Edwards’ 2008 campaign.

Va. becoming hot battleground

PORTSMOUTH, Va.

Move over Ohio and Florida. Virginia is becoming the hottest new battleground in this year’s race for the White House.

Shifting demographics have President Barack Obama fighting for another win in this Southern state four years after he became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry Virginia in more than four decades. Republican rival Mitt Romney is banking on buyers’ remorse as he works to prove that Obama’s unlikely 2008 victory was a fluke.

Six months before Election Day, both sides concede that Virginia truly is up for grabs. And the outcome here could have dramatic consequences — for Romney especially.

Associated Press